Electric meter.



Patented Nov. II, 1902.

No. 7l3,564.

J. HARRIS.

ELECTRIC IETER.

(Applionfion llpd In. 98, 1902.) (In Iodol.)

Patented Nov. II, I902.

2 Sheets-Shut 2.

J. HARRIS.

ELECTRIC METER.

(Application flied Jan. 23, 1902.;

(No Model.)

Tm: News In: L: vumou Sag.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE HARRIS, OF RENSSELAER, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 71 3,564, datedNovember 11, 1902.

Apnlieation filed January 23, 1902. Serial No. 90,907. (No model.)

10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JESSE HARRIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rensselaer, New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Electric Meters; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved electricmeter.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows a top plan view of my meter, with thecoils 7 shown in section; Fig. 2, avertical sectional view of thefield-coils and laminated core and their arrangement; Fig. 3, a verticalsectional view of the meter with its casing; Fig. 4, a plan view of thesupport or plate for the commutator-pins; Fig. 5, a plan view of themercurycup; Fig. 6, a sectional view of Fig. 5, taken on line a a; Fig.7, a vertical sectional view of another form of my device.

The numeral 1 shows a drag-magnet between the poles of which moves thedisk 2, said disk having openings therein in which are set coils of wire7, (shown in section,) which taken with the disk form the armature, thecoils of wire 7 being electrically connected in pairs and connected withtwo of the pins 11, the coils 7 being so connected in pairs that whenthey revolve with the disk each pair coming under the poles of thelaminated core at the same time will be energized by the current beingcommutated by the pins 11 and the mercury 12.

9 shows a laminated path, preferably, for the magnetic flux.

3 shows the field-coils, and 6 a countingtrain, and 4 the driving-shaft,havinga wormgear 4' operatively connected with the shaft of thecounting-train.

The mercury-cup 13 has a peculiar formationto its bottom, whereby themercury is retained in the most advantageous position, and is formed asfollows: The disconnected grooves 12 are made in the bottom, as seen inFig. 5, and are set oppositely and having one side of each grooveinclined, as seen at 12 in Fig. 6. This is so arranged in order that asthe revolving pins pass through or in contact with the mercury they willforce the mercury forward and up the inclined plane, and when the pinsleave it the mercury will run down the incline and place itself inposition to take the following pin, the rapidlymoving pins also tendingto keep the mercury somewhat upon the long inclined side of the grooves,thus commutating the current in a stronger magnetic field. In Fig. 7 Ishow the pins 14, which perform similar functions to the pins 11, (seenin Fig. 3,) as being passed through or connected to the disk 2 directly,and mercury cups or grooves 15 set under the disk so the ends of thepins will dip into the mercury as the disk revolves, the disk 2 in Fig.7 being a solid disk and not having coils set therein, asin that formshown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, as seen at7. Instead of pins 11, as seen inFig. 3, or those seen at 14 in Fig. 7 theedge of the disk may be slit,and the slit portion be turned down,forming depending projections, ifdesired, or any other means for making contact with the mercury be used;but I prefer the pins, as shown.

The numeral 8 shows a laminated magnet, the poles being surrounded bythe coils 3 3, and 9 shows a laminated metallic pole-piece of pathconducting the current from one pole to the other, and 17 showsresistance devices in the circuit, and 16 a source of electric power.

The operation is as follows: The conductor 16 being the supply-circuitconducts the current to the mercury 12 in one of the grooves in cup 13,and as the support 10 for the pins 11 rotates with shaft 4 and the disk3 it draws the ends of the pins through the mercury, and the pins takeup and conduct the current along the wires 7 to a coil 7 and across tothe opposite or connected coil 7 and down the return wire to the pin onthe opposite side of support 10 to the mercury in the opposite grooveand from thence out to the work-circuit 17. The field coils 3 areconnected across the line or in shunt. The circuit passing through thecoils 7 in pairs produces a mag-' netic flux which,reacting on the fluxproduced by the field-coils 3, produces a torque proportional to therelative fluxes, thus setting the disk 2 in motion and communicatingmotion to the counting-train by the shaft at and wormgear 4. In thatform shown in Fig. 7, the disk 2 being a solid disk, the current passesthrough the'metal of the disk from the receiving to the discharging pin14 and the fluxes excited act precisely as in the other forms of thedevice, as above described. The supporting-plate 10 may be consideredwith its pins as a commutator and the supply-wire 16 as a brush and themercury 12 as a practicall y frictionless medium between the brush andthe commutator, and this is one of the features of my invention. It willbe noticed that as the support 10, or, as I have also called it, thecommutator, revolves with its pins the current is obliged to travel fromthe mercury in one cup to the opposite cup connected with it andlikewise through the next succeeding pair, and thus it passes throughrecurring paths or, in other words, through constantly-recurring pins,but without making any break in the current, for the pins are so setthat at all times pins will be in contact with the mercury in thegrooves or cups, so as to pass the current. It will be observed that themercury-cup being formed as shown in Fig. 6 and the mercury tending asit does in accordance with its nature to pile up or stand slightly abovethe rim of the cup or groove the pins touch the mercury without touchingthe cup and that as the pin spass through or in contact with themercury'they force it more or less to one side'or up the inclined sideof the cup or groove and into the more dense or stronger magnetic fluxexisting at or near the poles of the magnet and in the disk and thatthis movement of the mercury will depend largely upon the speed of thepinsll as they move through or in contact with the mercury, and in thismanner the current will be commutated into a stronger or weaker-ta, avarying-magnetic flux in proportion to the speed of the pins. The

form of cup or groove shown is preferred; but any other means than thisparticular form of cup may be used to allow this movement of the mercurywithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

My device therefore practically consists of a source of electrical powerand a motor having a magnetic field and a conducting movable member withthe field, portions of the movable member making successive electricalcontact with a practically frictionless conducting body or member in thecircuit, and means for producing a drag on the moving member and meansfor commutating the current into a stronger or weaker magnetic flux. Thecover or casing 13 consists, preferably, of glass; but any othersuitable material may be used, and it is preferably air-tight.

Having described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. In an electric motorhaving a magnetic field; a conducting'movable member within that field;conductors for an electric current; a fluid-conducting body in thecircuit; portions of the movable member arranged to make successiveelectrical contacts with the fluid-conducting body in the circuit, thesaid contacts being arranged to produce a continuous unbroken flow ofthe current; and a counting device operatively connected with themovable member arranged to register its movements substantially asdescribed.

2. In an electric motor having a magnetic field: a revoluble diskcomposed of conducting material; a laminated electromagnet and coilsembracing its poles; a laminated polepiece separated from said polesarranged to act as a conductor between them; a drag device arranged toproduce a drag on the disk; the disk being in electrical connection witha plurality of separate fluid conductors; a plurality of contactsarranged to enter and leave each of said fluid conductors successivelyand to maintain a continuous unbroken cur-' rent, the fluid cond uctorsbeing in connection with a source of electrical power; a counting devicein operative connection with the disk arranged to register its movementssubstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afifix my signatur in presence of two witnesses.

JESSE HARRIS.

Witnesses:

JAMES M. BROWN, J. F. HARRIS.

